Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-18

or Trurs alcohol, though not at all good TO the
taste; III fact, would take the throat out of a
Mulberry street tramp
1.-THE problem of getting the alcohol out
OF the smoke was simple. Instead OF burning
the wood in pit. the genius borrowed capt.
tai and built retorts just large enough to hold
two cords Of wood each. They were made In
the shape Of round steam boilers and mounted
over brick furnaces as boilers are The re-
torts We're filled with hard wood soft being of
no account, and fires were started in the
| furnaces The wood was baked, and the
| volatile elements of the wood were driven off
through pipes that were laid in a big trough
| of running water so as to form a condenser
on the principle of a steam condenser.
OF course, the factory had to be located on q
stream Of water that had good fall in order
to run the water into the condenser econom.
icaily, although steam engine would pun
the water through
| "The liquor that ram through the condenser
was simply condensed smoke. Il was con-
Quoted TO a tank where it was mixed with
| lime. The lime combined with certain acid
constituents OF the smoke and left wood alco-
hol free. The alcohol was drawn of and dis
titled once or twice to refine il, just as it
would b. distilled in a grain distiilery. From
FIVE to six gallons OF alcohol were obtained
from cord Of wood
@Then the compound Of lime and acids was
taken out Of the watts and dried down in
shallow watts until IL became the commercial
substance known as acetate o. lime. About $50
pounds Of the acetate were obtained from a
cord Of wood. Here, then, were two very val
liable substances obtained from the smoke, and
although some additional labor and "A valua-
bic plant bad been necessary 70 secnrs the
smoke, the extra expense was a triae com
pared with the value o. the new products.
FINALLY, when the tar had creased TO 1ow
from the retort, as it had formerly erased 10
flow from the pit, the reoors was opened In
stead Of twenty five bushels OF coal TO the
cord obtatnel III the pit. the charcoal burner
found sixty bushels 70 the cord ia his resort.
So the charcoal burner hired men ~ do tie I
yelling on the village streets for him, paid of
the usurer who had loaned hirn the capital. |
threw away his jean trousers and hls pipe /
and, in a more becoming garb, sat down u /
smoke twenty-five cent cigars The fart Il i
the new business was like any otosr new /
thing; It was enormously profitable until the /
rest Of the world rushed into it and cut down
prices
Still no one need complain who owns a
good acid factory. Acid tac.Sry Is a nan,
adopted By tb,'ss who do not Ike % stop ard 1
explain - every inquirer :ha. while they are
prodacin- ascDhol the STUFF is not t5e sort Tia.
:ncbria:es anybody. Tie charcoal pays al
the expense AZ buying xood, paying wagss
and delivering the products on THE mar kes,
ard leaves liftie margin for Interest On the
investment besides. The ascoiaol ar,sf tie ace
tate are clean profit But tsA. i no. al
there Is very good prosnrt Of ashes The
fire ifs the Furnaces il kept burning with
charcoal inst aud broken charcoal tat dos
not SCI vel og tie market, and with tbs Tar
Tia; oozes OF; o. tbs re'o-tA There are ssv.
egsi bushels 0, ashes for sach oorj OF wood.
aid the aslssS are worth from zen 70 fft~en
rsnts 3 hzsshei az toe factory, .bsrs hey uSs-
sly base Tes'ly sale 70 tie farmers loT lev-sg
Izsrs. Tney are also bseacbei snd used in
Inasirg Potash. Thinking of s1ck b.axssse<s
as this makes Allow ~oss3er Whether ta~rs
sa'i lcss 81 SAL roz gong 70 waste an The
'rsoss did that might he s:iiirsi and make us
Nj rsch- --xsv York Ssn
Pfstare~4ae E~esra-
Ma J. 9ess Ohsxzyney. tzse vsts 81 ths
krsasf, y making a 5sicsurszse record q ths